Evaluating Health Information on the Web

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The mission of the Moses Taylor Hospital HealthInfo Library is: to offer access to a reliable and up-to-date collection of consumer health materials in print and electronic formats; to provide information services for the community so they can become more informed about health and wellness issues and therefore make better health care decisions; to be a health resource center for the community.

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The Internet can be a great resource for finding health information. Here are 10 hints to help you use it wisely for yourself and your family.

1. Check the source of information: Who is providing the information on the site? Groups that put health information on the net include government agencies, academic institutions, health associations, research foundations, individuals, hospitals, consulting firms. It is important to weigh the information given against the provider's intent for supplying it. At the HealthInfo Library we find that web sites from government agencies, hospitals, or health specific associations are usually credible sources

 

 

2. Who is the intended audience for the web site? On what reading level is it written? If it is written for health professionals, you can benefit from it but you should realize that the information may be difficult to understand.

 

3. Information should be current - If a site hasn't been updated in several months, the information may no longer be accurate. A quality site updates at least monthly. An indication of stale content is error messages stating that links followed do not work.

 

4. Keep track of where you are on the Internet - Following links can take you around the world. You may have started out at a reputable source and end up at a less reliable one.

 

5. Watch for terms such as "miracle cure" and frequent complaints about traditional medicine. Selling products isn't necessarily bad on the Internet but be cautious of testimonials and hyped promotions.

 

6. Get second opinions by looking at more than one site.

 

7. There should be a way of contacting the site's content provider - there should at least be an email address to give feedback or to request more information.

 

8. If a site asks you to sign up for a free service or fill out guest information, read carefully what they intend to do with the information before you give them any. A reputable sight will let you know if they intend to share your data with anyone else.

 

9. Be wary of information from newsgroups or bulletin boards on health topics since anyone can be contributing this information. It is a good idea to spend time reading discussion boards without joining in at first so that you feel comfortable before becoming a participant.

 

10. Most importantly, Internet information is NOT a substitute for a medical professional.

 

Sites we use frequently in the HealthInfo Library to answer health related questions